John’s character is a lot like me: Pakhi

By Hindustan Times

Few know that Pakhi, the female lead of Abbas Tyrewala’s Jhootha Hi Sahi, made her debut in Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai eight years ago. Fewer know that she makes her screenwriting debut with the forthcoming romantic comedy.

Pakhi, who’s married to Tyrewala, says that she began
writing scripts because she wasn’t getting the right roles. “I didn’t feel right and almost gave up. I used to write a lot of stories as a kid, so I gave script writing a shot. I still kept praying that acting would happen, and I guess someone heard my prayers!”

Jhootha Hi SahiThe actor reveals that she had written her first script for John Abraham because she had a crush on him, and it’s a “lucky coincidence” that he’s acting in her second script. “I approached John’s manager with my first script and he said that John didn’t have dates for four years,” she laughs.

“After that, I ended up assisting Abbas in Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na, and we eventually got married,” she continues. “I had shown Abbas my first script and he encouraged me to write more. So, I wrote this movie just so that he would have something ready to direct after he completed Jaane Tu....”

Pakhi reveals that she hadn’t even finished writing the script when Abraham came on board. “Abbas and Madhu (Mantena, producer) had gone to meet John for another script,” she says. It was Abraham who felt that she should be cast as the female lead, and suggested the same to Tyrewala.

“I hadn’t even imagined myself in the female lead role since John’s character in the movie is more like me than the female character is,” she laughs. “But John and Madhu convinced Abbas, and here I am!”